Blogger's Boulevard

The Parisian Encounter - 
"My Charles de Gaulle Experience"

Picture It! Paris, 2011...

Ever since I was thirteen years old I had known two things for certain: The first one was that I absolutely loved poetry (and wanted a Nobel Prize for it) and the other was that I wanted to get to Paris before I die!

So much so that when I got the news that I had gotten the opportunity to not only visit Paris, but live in France, not only was I ecstatic but I asked the question..."God am I going to die soon?" 

I had been preparing for this trip for months and truth be told I stopped myself from having too many expectations. I only wanted to come here with an open mind and absorb all the splendor and glory of Paris like a sponge. I began studying French in secondary school at the age of twelve and my passion for the language...and well everything French (from food, to fashion, to literature, men, art...did I say Men?) just grew. Not only was I gonna see all of these things first hand but I was going to be larger than life in experiencing them.

"La petite Trinidadienne" with the big dream that came true! 

And so the real story begins, with my departure from Heathrow International Airport en route to the big city of romance (well at least those were my expectations). 

The captain on board this quite comfortable BA  flight 326 announced almost one hour later that it is quite a beautiful night in the magnificent Paris. It was at that very moment that I had to pinch myself... "I made it to Pah'ree!" 

Landed safely, I got off the plane, collected my luggage, loaded them on a cart and took a photo of  the first thing that I saw afterwards (a replica of La Tour Eiffel). A sense of fulfillment, inexplicable joy and well a little feeling that I could maybe fly or perhaps had just conquered the world got the better of me. I admit, having a life-long dream come true does that to you sometimes. So there I was, strolling with my cart-full of luggage, looking at everything around me but thinking to myself as well..."this airport is truly empty for an airport!...Where is everyone?" It was not bustling with travelers like JFK, Heathrow or even...Piarco???

Quickly that thought left my mind because I was so overwhelmed by the entire experience and also a bit jet-lagged from so many weeks of shopping and travelling. I knew that I had to take a train from the airport to  Amiens because that is where school and lodging was situated (or so I thought). Automatically I began reading the signs to find my way. Took the escalator to 2nd floor of the airport to buy a metro pass but the stupid machines took only cards or coins...neither of which I had. I mounted the escalator again and I was lucky enough to meet with a kind, age-able  lady who explained to me that there was no train available at that time (I had to wait until six next morning), that the trains didn't go to Amiens directly but to Gare du Nord and at looking at my papers also explained to me that where I was going was a part of the Amiens educational region but was nowhere close to Amiens. 

I was grateful for the advice but a bit upset and confused at the same time. Seeing that I may have to spend the night at Charles de Gaulle, my automatic follow-up question was, "Is there a hotel available nearby where I can sleep?" Her response... (in french of course, which although you've studied it for so long sounds different when you get to France) was "yes there are hotels close to the airport but to get there now is not only a bit difficult but dangerous, but there is a Sheraton here in the airport, you can check it out." 

My hopes were up again! So, there I was, on my way to find the Sheraton...when... in the distance, I came across this rare human species...more like a rare specimen of a cross-breed between a homeless man and a hippy with dreadlocks! I glanced at it (couldn't tell whether male or female) and continued on my way. I heading in a northern direction and it southern...when she (realized she was female) upon reaching within about a three feet distance to me, started screaming like a crazy person at me; But that's not all, she then proceeded to chase after me. 

I never knew that my reflexes were so good, but I was able to not only think but I got strength from I don't know where to turn that cart around and outrun that sucker. Was I scared?..... TO DEATH! Got to the Sheraton with my heart in my hands and just when I thought that things could not get any worse...they did! The hotel was closed because it was completely full. I had to sleep in the airport....wait ...WHAT???

I was just chased by Chucky's tribal cousin and now I have to stay an entire night in this madhouse with all these people whom I saw sleeping on the floor and thought were passengers but was then told were actually homeless people. I immediately went in search of that lady that I met and being as sweet as she was she stayed the night with me, bought me coffee as well as a metro pass nest morning, helped me with my luggage and took me to Gare du Nord. 

If you're wondering if I slept at all during the night...the answer is ...Not a Wink! 

Got to Gare du Nord and she even bought my ticket for me to go to my destination, explained everything to me and left. I was so indeed blessed and just could not wait to take the train. Then again my bubble was burst. I asked the woman at the guichet for directions to my train and she explained to me that the train to my destination doesn't arrive until 1:30 pm, so after such a hard night, I had to wait another six and a half hours for a train. NO WAY!

I had no choice in this matter so I waited at the Gare , which, if you've ever been there, has the worst seating accommodation ever. I endured nonetheless..guarding my luggage like a hawk! until the train arrived.

I had never in my life experienced so many upsets in a matter of 24-36 hours. Incroyable! But in spite of all those upsets, I was not going to have my dream come true ruined by one negative first encounter or even unfortunate experience. Being in Paris alone was more than enough for me keep a smile on my face and a song in my heart. At one point in time, I thought to myself..."You must  be dreaming!" for this is just too good to be true. The pleasant thoughts of all the things I wanted to see as well as be a part of  in Paris suddenly made the time fly.

On a happy ending, I got to my destination safely! On another note, I can, with surety, say that there is something magical about Paris ..so... 

Voilà!

P.S. This is just the beginning of the stories of my french encounters. Stay tuned for more from the Blogger's Boulevard.

March 9, 2012

More Than Just a Dream

You NEVER know where life will take you. That is an absolute! 

Have you ever dreamed with all your heart, soul and sinew of getting that one thing that would make the world of difference to you (even though you know that eventually, familiarity with it, is going to make it less attractive)? That doesn't matter...you still want it anyway! 

There are times in your life when the stars just shine for you, or the dots just connect and you are in such disbelief as to how on earth that just happened; and if you've never experienced that yet...it'll come! It may be sooner, it may be later, but it'll come! 

In 2011, I had things go wrong in my life and I remember thinking to myself that I will never make it! I have disappointed my parents, myself and I am a fake and a phony to those who look at me to inspire themselves! Truth is....I had a hard time even inspiring myself. Everything around me suffered. I had endured THE most unhealthy relationship (which was actually my first) and for this reason, scars were left that I sometimes think are visible to everyone! After all, that how scars are! What made it worst was that it was a big secret, so that when the hardship and emotional turmoil that comes after a bad relationship came, I was toute seule! With no one to talk to, understand me or no shoulder to cry on! I had failed at many things that I was doing and ran the risk of having to take a year off from University (which God knows I needed but not in the way the offer came). I was the symbol of success in my family. I had the insurmountable task of living a circumspect life because I had the burden of being an example for younger sisters, making a dad proud (who isn't really my dad but has supported me 100 times more than my actual father would have or did), raising the nose of a mother who never got the opportunity, so is moving "hell and high waters" to make it possible for me, living the dream of a grandmother who has made life-threatening mistakes and thus my success would be the only thing to make her feel as if she did at least one thing right in her life!

To add to the weight, I had demons to fight off on all sides..like war of the worlds! Not making excuses here but simply stating the facts: I come from a genetic melange of a mother who is strong-willed, self-motivated and passionate but with the doubting demons that really prevent her from making the skies her limit and an equally strong-willed (in this case stubborn) father (biological that is) who never had a mother's love (but does HAVE too many excuses), is inexplicably talented (like all the rest of his family) but is so lazy minded that if it were a super-power, he just might be able to control the galaxies! I had inherited a little bit of all! The only difference was that I was a dreamer, who has had dreams of magnanimous proportions come true for me already and so this also made me a believer in the impossible. What had gone wrong in my life...just about everything and I had no clue where that flicker of light was going to come from to at least allow me to find some direction in the dark! 

Well Someone scratched a match..... Turn of the Tides:

I had signed up at my University (as a French major) in January or February to come to France and as I said in a previous post, Paris was my dream place to visit (before I die) since I was thirteen years old! I remember being almost the last person to hand in all the paper work (I did so on the deadline date exactly 12 minutes before the office closed) due to some crazy circumstances. I knew I wanted to be accepted to come but I never actually believed that I would. Months passed and I would casually think about it and say to myself, how bad I really want it and how much it would mean to me. I had no idea where the money was going to come from (my parents had just taken on a major project) and how I was going to manage ...if I did get through???

I vividly remember on April 20th 2011 at 5:17pm I got an email telling me that I had been accepted (I did get through!!!) and that I need to come to the office and sign a form saying whether I accept or not. I was the only person in my family to ever have gotten the opportunity to do something like this and thus the feeling was overwhelming. It made all my problems seem either really small or quite trivial...(they really weren't). But the feeling of a dream coming true surpasses all other feeling of hurt, doubt and even disappointment. I eventually got a job during the summer, which was a window of possibility that opened for me and like usual, my parents made the impossible....POSSIBLE! Before I could say Jean-Jacques or Pierre the time approached and all my preparations from then on felt a little more real. There I was, the girl with the problematic life, the odds against her and hope that was lost, having a complete turn of events. How I felt you might ask...Fantastic-check, On top of the world-check, like I grew wing-check, shocked-check, overwhelmed-check, still in disbelief-check!

So with restored faith, a full heart, a smile on my face, a sound belief in the impossible and well a miniature Eiffel Tower on my desk, and not to mention a view outside my window of a ville close to Paris (which is a constant reminder that dreams do come true), I end this account of the Blogger's Boulevard.

Violà!!!